Dear Edward tells the story of a young boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash. Edward quickly becomes an object of fascination for the world, relatives of the passengers, and people who feel compelled to write him letters. These letters contain stories about their loved ones, ask if he saw them on the flight, or contain requests.

This is one of those books that I know I’ll come back to, that will stay with me. The plane crash in the book was based on two actual plane crashes. It impressed me how well-researched the plane crash was. When things go wrong, I think humans have a fascination and need to understand why. In this book, what we learn is that understanding why is not always enough and that healing must come from a different place.

Although glimpses of the passengers on the plane are relatively brief, what I love about the writing style is how packed with emotion and knowledge those moments are. I felt like I learned something, however small, from each one. The writing is beautiful and filled with sharp edges, love, and what it means to be human. This enthralling book will remind you of how we take life and the people we love for granted. One of my favorite and most meaningful reads so far this year, Dear Edward left me filled with love.